Cup-dispenser.



L. S. FLATAU.

0UP DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNIISO, 1013.

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L. S. PLATAU.

0UP DISPENSER.

- APPLICATION nun JUNESO, 1913.

1 09 499 Patented May 12, 1914,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inventor: aim L.. .flabau L. S. FL ATAU.

0UP DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE so, 1913.

, i 499 Patented May 12, 1914.

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L..6. kabau L. S. FLATAU.

0UP DISPENSER.

APPLICATION nun Junnao, 1913.

1,096,499, v Patented May 12, 1914.

4 HHEETS-BHEET 4.

Mbfifib Inventor:

LOUIS s. FLATAU, or s'r. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH W. LEWIS, OF'ST.

LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CUP-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed Tune 30, 1913. Serial No. 776,692.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Louis S. FLATAU, a

' citizen of the United States of America.

and resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cup-Dispensers, of which the following. is a full, clear. and exact description, reference being had -to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for d1s- )ensin a er drinkin 011 s and the inb p b i vention has for one of its objects to provide eflicient means by which the cups nested together, may be separated for discharge from the dispenser.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receiver into which each cup is deposited when separated from the remaining nested cups, and means for operating said receiver to discharge the cup therein while the cup to be next deposited in the receiver is being separated from the collection of nested cups to enter the receiver. I

A still further object of my invention is to provide a novel form of coin controlled mechanism for restraining the cup separating mechanism from movement pending the deposit of a coin by which the coin con-' trolled mechanism is rendered inactive.

Figure I is a vertical section through my cup dispenser. Fig. II is a vertical section through the dispenser, taken on a line at a 7 right angle to that on which the section in Fig. VIII is a view similar to Fig. VII,

Fig. I is taken. Fig. :III is a top or plan view of the cup separating mechanism of my dispenser, the housing for such mechanism being shown in horizontal section. Fig. IV is a vertical section taken on irregular line IVIV, Fig. III. Fig. V is a section of the coin controlled device. Fig. VI is a perspective view of the latch dog of the coin controlled mechanism, the dog being shown. inverted. Fig. VII is an enlarged view of a plurality of nested cups, and the cup separators in normal positions.

with the cup separators in the positions assumed when a lowermost cup is being separated from the nested-cups above it. Fig. IX is an enlarged perspective view of one of the cup separators. Flg. Xis a view similar to Fig. III illustrating a modification.

Fig. XI is a vertical section of the modified construction. Figs. XII and XIII are perglass, or other transparent material, in order.

that the cups may be viewed through the magazine. The magazine is supported by a housing 2, which includes a cover 3 on which the magazine rests. W'it-hin the housing beneath the cover 3 is an annular shelf 4, provided with a downwardly extending tubular neck, and at the lower end of the hofising is a discharge spout 6.

The neck 5 within the housing provides a passageway through which the cups A may descend singly when separated from the others with which it is nested, and beneath said neck 5 is a tiltable cup receiving barrel 7, supported in the" housing 2 by trunnions 8 mounted in members 9 and 10, (see Fig. II) parallel with the sides of the housing 2. The cup receiving barrel has a peripheral opening 7 adapted to register with the neck 5 to permit the deposit of cups into the barrel from the magazine 1, and the escape of cups from the barrelto the discharge spout 6. Within the barrel 7 is an upwardly extending post 11, around which the cups are deposited so that they will be-positioned opposite the opening 7', as seen in Figs. I and II, ready for discharge from the barrel to the discharge spout 6 when the barrel is tilted. The cup receiving barrel is illustrated in Figs. I and II in its normal position, and the barrel is automatically returned to such normal position after being tilted for the discharge of the cups, by a counterbalance weight 12 at the bottom of the barrel.

I will now proceed to a description of my cup separating mechanism which is shown most clearly in Figs. III, IV and VII to IX, inclusive. This mechanism is located within the housing 2, and includes an oscillatory shifter B which comprises a central ring 13 loosely fitted in the neck 5 extending downwardly from the shelf 4, and a flange 14 exten ing outwardly over said shelf from saidringz, The ring 13 ofthis shifter is in registration with the magazine 1 to provide for'the descent of cups to and through said from one. of the side wal s of the cup receiving barrel 7. This fork 16, b '-cooperation with the pin 17, acts to tilt te cup re'- ceiving" barrel upon movement of the shifter- B, so that a cup therein will be discharged through the peripheral opening 7 in the,

barrel into the discharge spout 6. When the handle 15 of the ejector operating device is released, the cup receivin barrel. is returned to its normaliposition un er the influence of;

the-counterbalance weight 12, and the pin 17 and fork 16 act to return the shifter B to its normal position, seen in Fig. TH.

18 and 19 are screw posts fixed to the shelf 4 within the housing 2 and extending vertically therefrom, the screw posts 18 having right hand screw threads, and the screw posts 19 having left hand screw'threads. By reference to the drawing it will beseen that the posts having similar threads are diamet rically opposite each'other within the housing 2, they bein so disposed with an object in view that-wi I be fully understood from the description that is to follow.

C andC are cup separators, operable, respectively, upon thescrew posts 18 and 19. Each separator C or Cficomprises a body 20 having an internal thread suitable for op eration upon the screw post the separator is applied to. The body of each separator carmos a lower win 21, and an upper wing 22 arran ed in di erent vertical planes, both .of which are adapted to be placed in engagement with the lips a of the cups A by pass ing through slots 13 in the ring 13. The separators C and G- are provided with slotted arms 23, in which vertical pins or studs 24, 25 carried by'the horizontal flange of the shifter B are operable. As shown in the drawings, the studs 24 for operating the separators G are located beneath the flange of I the shifter B, and the studs 25 for operating the separators C are located above said shifter, this arrangement being followed in order that, when the shifter B is operated by its handle 15, the separator C on the screw posts 18 having right hand threads may move downwardly and the separators C may move upwardly on the posts 19havin right hand threads.

11 the practical use of my cup dispenser, the operation is as follows: The separator shifter 18 normally occupies the position seen in Fig. HT and when the shifter is in noecgree VII. When the handle '15 of the separator shifter B-is moved in the direction of the arrow Fig. TH, the studs 24, 25 carried "thereby are all moved in a circular path,

and act to impartpartial rotation in the same general direction to the several separar tors C and C. The separators C on the posts 18', having right hand threads, are moved downwardly on said posts during rotationfand the separators C on the posts 19, having left hand screw threads, are moved upwardly on these posts, while rotating "thereon. As these movements of the .sep'a'rators C, C occur, the cup supporting Wings 21 of the separators C are moved in arcs of circles to carry themoutwardly from positions beneath the mouth lip of the lowermost nested cup A. The upperiwings of the separators C being ofi'set into. vertical planes difierent from the vertical planes in which the lower wings 21 are present from time to time, pass into the space between the mouth lip of the lowermostcup and the mouth lip of the cup next thereabove. Concurrently with the described movements of the separators C, the separators G are rotated to such degrees as to remove their lower wings 21 from positions beneath the mouth lip of the lowermost-cup and position the upper wings-22 of said separators between the-mouth lips of the lowermostcup and the cup'next thereabove. Continued movements of the separators C 0, through the medium of the separator shifter B, results in continued rotative movements of all of the separators, with their u per wings -22 interposed between the mouth ips of the two lowermost cups. The movement of the shifter B and the separators has at-this time been only partial, and continued movements of these parts results in the separator C continuing to travel downwardly in the posts 18, while the separators C continue to travel upwardly on the posts19, The obvious result is that the wings 22 of the separators C press downwardly upon the mouth lip of the lowermost cup, while the wings 22 of the separator C press upwardly against the mouth lip of the cup next therea-bove to lift it and the nested cups surmounting it. The travel of the separators C and C in opposite directions, as stated, is suflicient to withdraw the lowermost cup from frictional engagement'with the cup immediately above it and said cup is, therefore, permitted to fall from the cups above'it, which are at this time supported by the upper wings 22 of the separators; During the movement of the shifter ,B, the cup receiving barrel 7 is tilt- .I and II until the cup A, previously posited therein, is ejected through the peripheral opening 7 of the barrel into the discharge spout 6; and when-the cup-separated from the nested cups, as described, de-

scends to the barrel, it is deposited on the periphery of said barrel to remain thereon until the barrel resumes its normal position and the cup is permitted to fall through the peripheral opening 7 into the barrel, ready for ejection upon the next operation of the machine. Concurrently with the return of the cup receiving barrel to its normal position, accomplished through the medium of the counterbalance 12, theseparator shifter 'B is rotated backwardly through the medium of the pin 17 and fork 16, and the separators C' and C, are returned-to their normal positions, the separators C-moving upwardly and the separators C moving downwardly on their posts'until the lower wings 21 of the several separators are brought to rest beneath what is then the lowermost cup A.

I will now roceed to a description of the coin controlle mechanism of my dispenser.

26 designates a chin chute surmounting the cover of the housing 2, (see FigsjI, I],

.and V), this coin chutebeing provided. with a hollow base 27 secured to said cover. 28 is a latch dog having' one of its ends pivotally attached to the base of the coin chute by a pin 29. This latch dog is provided with a coin slot 30 located beneath the coin chute 26. At the free end of the latch dog is a downwardly extending tooth 31, preferably bifurcated, as seen in Fig. VI, to permit coins to enter thereinto. In the separator operating shifter B is a slot 32, which is normally outof registration with but is adapted to be brought into registration with a slot 4 in the shifter supporting shelf 4. The separator operating shifter is provided with a vertical abutment 33, which is so located thereon 'as to be slightly separated from the tooth 31 of thelatch dog when the shifter is in its retracted and normal position. 1

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the latch dog 28 is normally so disposed that only a slight movement can be imparted to the shifter B before the abutment 33 of the shifter strikes against the tooth 31 ofsaid dog, and it is to be noted in this connection that such movement is insufficient to withdraw the lower cup supporting wings 21- of the separators C, C from cup supporting positions. When, however, a coin is dropped into the coin chute, it passes partially through the slot 30 in the latch dog and into the slot 32 in the shifter B to rest on the shelf 4; and upon move ment being imparted to said shifter, the coin rides beneath the latch dog, elevating it sufficiently to raise the tooth of the dog above the abutment 33 of the 'shifter,-after which the shifter is free to be moved the remaining distance for the operation of the cup separators C, C, as previously. explained. During the movement of the shifter after the movement of the latch dog to inactive position, the coin is carried to the slot 4' and falls into a coin receptacle shown'in Fig. II. a

In the modification shown in Figs. X to XIII, inclusive, 2 designates the dispenser housing, within which is a shelf 4:? serving to support the cup separators and the means for operating said separators. l4: is a separator operating ring loosely mounted on the shelf 4 and provided with a handle 15 operable in a slot in the housing 2. The separator operating ring is provided near its inner marginal edge with, slots 14" and 14,

parted to the separator operator ring without interference being offered to such move ment by said posts. C -are cup separators rotatable on the posts 18 and having wings 22, the separators being provided with slotted lever arms 23, receiving studs 24 carried by the separator operating ring 14, through the medium of which the separators C are connected to the separator operating ring to provide for the operation of the separators. It is well to here note that the wings 22 of the separators C are normally retracted from the path of movement of the nested cups in the dispensenand are moved into engagement with thelips of the cups after a'parti'al movement of the separator operating ring 14. C designates separators rotatably fitted to the posts 19 and located intermediate of the separators C The separators C are provided with lower and upper cup engaging wings 21 and 22 'arranged thereon in a manner similar to the arrangement of the wings 21 and 22 of the separators C in the first described construction, these wings having offices similar tov the wings 21 and 22 of the first described separators. The separators C are designed to partake of movements similar to those partaken of by the separators C; that is to say,

they are rotatable and movable in an upward direction when they are operated by the separator operating ring 14. The rotative movement of these separators C is accomplished through the medium of slotted lever arms 23", in engagement with studs 25 I operable on the inclined cams 35-. The separators C normally occupy the positions in which they are seen in Fig. X, and their wings 21 are at this time in the path of travel of the cups in the dispenser so that they serve to support said cups;

From the foregoing, it will be understood that upon rotative movement being imparted to the separator operating ring 14:, the separators C and C will be rotated on their aXes, the former merely rotating the latter partaking of upward movements in addition-to their rotative movements. The

wings 22 of the separators C pass between thelip of the lowermost cup and the cup next thereabove, while the lips 21 are being removed from positions beneath the lip of the lowermost cup, and the lips 22 of the separators C pass. between the lips of the two lowermost cups. Then, upon continued movements of the separators through the medium of the separator operating. ring, the

separators C continue to rise and elevate the cups above the lowermost one, the latterbeing restrained from upward movement due to the presence of the lips of the separators C? above said lowermost cup. As a consequence, the lowermost cup is separated from the cups above it, and may fall therefrom. A reverse movement of the separatoroperating ring causes the separators to be returned to their normal positions, the wings 21 of the separators C being first positioned beneath the lip of what is now the lowermost cup and the wing of the separator C being withdrawn from engagement with the cups.

I claim 1. In a dispenser, a magazine for holding articles to be dispensed, two rotatable article separating devices for engagement with the articles to be dispensed, one of said devices being movable longitudinally of its axis to move the article engaged thereby relative to the article engaged by the other separating device.

2. In a dispenser, .a magazine for holding the articles to be dispensed, a post having .threaded menace gagement with the articles to be dispensed operable on saidscrew threaded posts, and means for operating said separators.

.4. In a dispenser, a magazine for holding articles to be dispensed, a support for said magazine, a right hand screw threaded post mounted on said support, a left hand screw 0st mounted on said support, separators or engagement with the articles to be dispensed operable on said screw threaded posts, each of said separators including a pair of article engaging wings arranged in' different horizontal planes, and. means for operating said separators.

5. In a dispenser, a support, two posts extending upwardly from said support, means rotatable on said posts comprising members for engagement with adjacent articles to be dispensed, one of said means being movable longitudinally of its axis in one direction, and the other means being movable longitudinally of its axis in the opposite direction.

6. In a dispenser, a magazine for holding the articles to be'dispensed, a vertically movable device adapted to lift the articles in said magazine, and a rotatable device adapted to restrain one of the articles from moving with the remaining articles.

7 ."Ina dispenser, a magazine for holding the articles to be dispensed, a post having an inclined runway, a device for supporting the articles to be dispensed movable upwardly 'on said .inclined'runway, and a second device adapted to engage one of the articles to restrain the latter from moving with the remaining articles.

8. In a dispenser, a magazine for holding the articles to be dispensed, vertically movable devices each having a wing for sup porting said articles and a wing for lifting said articles; and rotatable devices cooperable with said vertically movable devices,the said rotatable devices having a wingadapted to engage one of said articles to restrain the latter from upward movement.

9. In a dispenser, a magazine for the articles to be dispensed, a tiltable barrel open to receive the articles discharged from said magazine, a weight tending to hold said barrel in its normal position, and a shifter for tilting said barrel to discharge the articles therefrom, the said barrel being provided with a projection and the shifter being provided with a fork straddling said projection.

L. S. FLA'IAU.

In the presence of-- E. B. LINN, E. CLARK. 

